Ecosystem Organization of a Complex Landscape

by Franzle, Otto; Kappen, Ludger; Blume, Hans-Peter; Dierssen, Klaus

• ISBN13: 9783540758105
• ISBN10: 3540758100
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-06-03
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

This volume is an essential text for scientists from a huge variety of disciplines, from ecologists to geographers and soil scientists. It provides a synthesis of long-term ecological analyses in the Bornhöved Lake District of northern Germany. The emphasis is on the comprehensive assessment of matter and energy fluxes. These operate in and between the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems on the one hand, and on transdisciplinary landscape planning approaches on the other.

Table of Contents

Research Programme and Study Area
General Concept of the Research Programme and Methodology of Investigations	p. 3
Introduction	p. 3
History and General Concept of the Research Programme	p. 3
Conceptual Background and Organizational Framework	p. 3
Selection of Representative Study Areas and Sites	p. 5
General and Specific Research Objectives of the Bornhoved Project	p. 7
Plan of Research	p. 10
Organizational Structure of the Project	p. 11
Methodology of Investigations	p. 13
Instruments and Methods of Meteorological and Hydrological Observations	p. 15
Soil Surveys and Analyses	p. 18
Biocoenotic Investigations	p. 19
Element Fluxes in Air, Water and the Soil-Vegetation Complex	p. 22
Ecological Modelling	p. 24
Ecological Setting of the Study Area	p. 29
Introduction	p. 29
Geological Setting	p. 29
Rocks and Relief Features	p. 29
Climate	p. 30
Soil Pattern	p. 32
Drainage Systems	p. 33
Vegetation	p. 40
Development and Socio-Economic Structure of the Cultural Landscape	p. 42
Site and Community Characteristics in Catenary Analysis	p. 44
Beech Forest	p. 45
Mixed Forest	p. 48
Alder Carrs	p. 50
Agroecosystems	p. 51
Grassland without Groundwater Contact	p. 53
Grassland with Groundwater Contact	p. 54
Hedgerows	p. 55
Reed Swamps	p. 56
Structure and Function of Ecosystems in a Complex Landscape
Ecophysiological Key Processes in Agricultural and Forest Ecosystems	p. 61
Introduction	p. 61
Control of Carbon Input	p. 62
Leaf Gas Exchange	p. 62
Upscaling to Canopy Level	p. 69
Partitioning of Carbon	p. 69
Respiration as Carbon Loss from the System	p. 71
Decomposition and Mineralization of Organic C	p. 73
Structure and Activity of Soil Microbiota	p. 73
Discussion	p. 78
Conclusions	p. 80
Carbon and Energy Balances of Different Ecosystems and Ecosystem Complexes of the Bornhoved Lake District	p. 83
Introduction	p. 83
Carbon and Energy Fluxes and Balances at the Ecosystem Scale	p. 83
Abiotic Ecosystem Energy Balances	p. 83
Carbon Fixation, Primary Production and Biological Energy Consumption	p. 85
Soil Carbon Balances	p. 85
Net Ecosystem Carbon Balances	p. 90
Extended Energy Balances at the Patch Scale	p. 90
Farm Gate Balances	p. 92
Energy Fluxes at the Landscape Scale	p. 95
Conclusions	p. 98
Water Relations at Different Scales	p. 101
Introduction	p. 101
Water Relations at the Plant Leaf Scale	p. 101
Diurnal Course of Leaf Water Relations	p. 102
Dependence of Leaf Conductance and Transpiration on Irradiance and Saturation Deficit	p. 105
Interrelations between Leaf Water Potential, Leaf Conductance and Transpiration	p. 106
Acclimation of Leaves to Environmental Conditions	p. 107
Measurement and Parameterization of Interception and Soil Evaporation	p. 107
Water Turnover at the Stand Level	p. 109
Evaporation and Advective Energy Supply	p. 112
Comparison of Water Vapour Flux Measurements with Different Modelling Approaches	p. 114
Conclusions	p. 117
Site-Related Biocoenotic Dynamics	p. 119
Introduction	p. 119
Vertical Distribution Patterns of Fauna and Microbiota in Beech and Alder Stands	p. 120
Vertical Stratification in the Soil Layer	p. 120
Vertical Stratification of Animals in the Vegetation Cover	p. 120
Spatial Patterns of Microbiota, Vegetation and Fauna in Beech Forest	p. 124
Microbiota and Decomposition	p. 124
Vegetation	p. 125
Fauna	p. 128
Seasonal Dynamics	p. 131
Seasonal Changes in the Animal Community	p. 131
Seasonal Change of Habitats	p. 134
Seasonal Changes of Food Resources	p. 135
Long-Term Dynamics	p. 138
Effects of Climatic Change	p. 138
Influence of Temperature on the Generation Cycle	p. 140
Succession from Grassland to Alder Carrs	p. 140
Changes during Decomposition Processes	p. 142
Conclusions	p. 145
Biocoenotic Interactions between Different Ecotopes	p. 147
Introduction	p. 147
Interactions between Different Ecosystems	p. 148
Interactions between Terrestrial Ecosystems	p. 148
Interactions between Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems	p. 153
Interactions within Aquatic Systems	p. 154
Modelling Species Interactions between Habitats	p. 161
Modelling Interactions between Terrestrial Habitats	p. 161
Modelling Interactions between Aquatic Habitats	p. 164
Conclusions	p. 167
Element Fluxes in Atmosphere, Vegetation and Soil	p. 169
Introduction	p. 169
Atmospheric Deposition and Leaching Processes of the Vegetation Cover	p. 169
Medium-Scale Deposition Patterns of the Study Area	p. 169
Small-Scale Atmospheric Deposition, Canopy Throughfall and Litterfall of Beech Stands	p. 170
Element Cadasters and Nutrient Fluxes in Arenic Umbrisols of Beech Stands and Eutri-Cambic Arenosols of Arable Land	p. 176
Element Cadasters of Soils	p. 176
Bacterial Populations and Degradation of Soil Organic Matter	p. 177
Annual Course of Element Concentrations in Field Eutri-Brunic Arenosols and Forest Arenic Umbrisols	p. 179
Long-Term Element Budgets of Forest Arenic Umbrisols and Eutri-Brunic Arenosols under Tillage	p. 187
Nutrient Fluxes in Alder Stands and Wetlands	p. 190
Elemental Concentrations in Alder Stands	p. 190
Nitrogen Budgets of Wetlands	p. 194
Stress, Strain and Metastability of Beech, Alder, Pasture and Agro-Ecosystems	p. 195
Elemental Imbalances as Strain Indicators	p. 196
Element Budgets and Strain Reactions of Beech Stands	p. 198
Strain Reactions of Alder Stands and Pastures	p. 203
Agricultural Impact	p. 204
Conclusions	p. 204
Transport Processes between Lake Belau and its Drainage Basin	p. 207
Introduction	p. 207
A Path Concept as a System-Linking Methodological Platform	p. 207
Exchange of Water between Lake Belau and its Catchment	p. 209
Hydrological Structure of the Catchment	p. 209
Ecohydrological Structure of Lentic Ecotones	p. 214
Water Distribution Matrices of Lentic Ecotones	p. 218
Non-Point Inputs of Nitrogen	p. 218
Bonding Forms and Concentrations	p. 218
Path-Based Balance of Nitrogen Inputs from Contiguous Uplands	p. 224
Influence of Lentic Ecotones on Non-Point Inputs of Nitrogen	p. 224
Inter-Scale Balances of Lateral Fluxes	p. 226
Non-Point Inputs of Phosphorus	p. 231
Bonding Forms and Concentrations	p. 231
Atmospheric Input of Phosphorus into Lake Belau	p. 234
Path-Related Phosphorus Inputs into Riparian Ecotones	p. 234
Influence of Lentic Ecotones on Phosphorus Transfer	p. 235
Comparative Evaluation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fluxes	p. 237
Conclusions	p. 239
Lake Belau	p. 241
Introduction	p. 241
Hydrographic Structure of the Lake Belau Drainage Basin	p. 242
Energetic Setting of Lake Belau and its Drainage Basin	p. 242
Short-Wave Net Radiation	p. 242
Water Temperature, Wind and Stratification	p. 245
Dissolved and Particulate Nutrients and Trace Elements in Water and Sediments	p. 250
Macronutrient and Carbon Fluxes	p. 253
Micronutrients and Trace Elements	p. 260
Biocoenoses	p. 263
Reed Belts	p. 263
Aufwuchs-Associated Nematodes and Oligochaetes	p. 265
Molluscs	p. 266
Chironomids	p. 266
Pelagic Phytoplankton and Benthic Algal Assemblages	p. 267
Zooplankton and the Microbial Loop	p. 270
Fish	p. 272
Species Diversity in the Light of Site Conditions and Organismic Motility	p. 273
Conclusions	p. 275
Ecological Gradients as Causes and Effects of Ecosystem Organization	p. 277
Introduction	p. 277
Gradients in Ecosystems	p. 278
Structural Gradients	p. 278
Functional Gradients	p. 283
Gradients as Elements of an Integrative Ecosystem Theory	p. 292
Conclusions	p. 294
From Research to Application
An Indicator-Based Characterization of the Bornhoved Key Ecosystems	p. 297
Introduction	p. 297
Methodology	p. 298
Ecosystem Classification	p. 298
Ecosystem Structure and Diversity	p. 298
Water and Nutrient Budgets	p. 299
Indication of Ecosystem Integrity	p. 303
Characterization of Ecosystem Types	p. 303
Successional Series on Histosols	p. 303
Successional Series on Mineral Soils	p. 305
Discussion	p. 305
Patterns of Plant-Species Richness	p. 305
Comparative Carbon Budgets of Ecosystems and their Successional Phases	p. 308
Comparative Nitrogen Budgets of Ecosystems and their Successional Phases	p. 310
Efficiency Measures	p. 312
Integrative Characterization of Ecosystem Evolution	p. 312
Relationships between Species Richness and Ecosystem Functioning	p. 313
Nutrient Balances of the Study Area	p. 316
Conclusions	p. 316
Ecosystem Research and Sustainable Land Use Management	p. 319
Introduction	p. 319
Ecosystem Research and Land Use Strategies	p. 319
Concepts of Sustainable Landscape Management	p. 319
The Demand for an Ecosystem Approach in National and International Regulations	p. 321
Ecosystem Integrity - Protection in the Face of Unspecific Risks to the Human-Environment Interaction	p. 325
The Role of Biological Diversity - Losing Insurance Benefits	p. 327
Beyond Sectoral Planning - Outline of the Precautionary Ecosystem Approach to Sustainable Landscape Planning	p. 329
From Sectoral Planning to an Ecosystem-Oriented Approach	p. 329
Digital Landscape Analysis and Modelling as Tools for an Integrative Landscape Management	p. 335
Modelling Biotic Interactions with Individual-Based Models	p. 336
Ecohydrological Modelling of Wetland Systems	p. 336
Process-Oriented Modelling on the Landscape Level	p. 338
Ecological Economics and Scenario-Guided Adjustment of Control Systems	p. 342
Conclusions: Perspectives for Integrative Landscape Planning, Management and Monitoring	p. 345
Introduction	p. 345
Definition of Goals and Valuation Procedures	p. 346
Appropriate Planning Procedures - Integrative Analysis	p. 347
Realization of Planned Measures	p. 348
Ecosystem-Oriented Monitoring and Feedback to Planning and Management Processes	p. 349
Transfer of Knowledge to the Community, to Stakeholders and to Decision Makers	p. 350
References	p. 351
Index	p. 385
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